We are living in the most transformative period of human history. Technologies that once only existed in science fiction are beginning to show up in our homes, cars, and workplaces. We traveled across the country to meet eight companies who are rewriting the rules of what's possible. Here are their stories.

Vertical Farming

In The Martian, Mark Watney staved off certain death by developing an ultra-efficient space potato farm. In Newark, Aerofarms has just opened the world's largest vertical farm, capable of producing nearly 2M pounds of greens annually with minimal resources or environmental impact. Come have a taste of the future of food.

We are transforming agriculture by growing indoors, vertically. We're able to grow all year round, and we're able to do it without sun or soil.

The super soldiers of sci-fi series like Doctor Who owe their ostensible immortality to super materials that have been impossible until now. Just north of San Francisco, a company called Graphene Technologies has found a way to harness the power of pure carbon to transform the building blocks of our world. Learn why our cars and homes will never be the same.

Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy stoked our imaginations with the babel fish—a strange biodevice that bestowed its wearer with universal language translation across the galaxy. Back on earth, Waverly Labs has finally made Douglas Adams' daydreams a reality with The Pilot. Here’s how it will transform the way we communicate.

Films like Repo Men depict a future where life-extending artificial organs can be purchased on the open market. In the present, a team of scientists at UC Berkeley has developed technology that allows you to grow a model of your organs on a microchip. Find out why it promises to change medicine forever.

The tricorder is one of Star Trek's most famous unrequited innovations. Catalyzed by a new XPRIZE competition from Qualcomm, companies across the US are working hard to bring it to life. One of the finalists, Cloud DX, possesses a prototype that is particularly transformative. Come see it for yourself.

In The Matrix, Morpheus and his band of rebel escapees were able to download knowledge and skills directly into their brains. Instant kung fu may still be decades away, but Daqri has figured out a way to rapidly transfer knowledge using augmented reality. Find out how it's changing the way we work and learn.

When we think of genetic modification, our imaginations often paint a dystopian portrait of the future. In reality, tools like CRISPR are allowing us to make welcome advances in fields like advanced materials and medicine. Synthego has now brought the gene-editing tool to the masses, allowing us to build a world that's a little more Iron Man and a little less Gattaca. Take a look.

The replicators of Star Trek allowed the next generation to synthesize anything on demand—meals, spare parts, even medicines. Redwood City-based Made In Space has finally brought the technology down to Earth, and into orbit. Learn why the technology marks a huge step forward in our quest to colonize the solar system.